Compressed air starting means for internal combustion engine



March 7, 1967 E. G. F. BRELEN 3,307,349

COMPRESSED AIR STARTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 12, L966 3,307,349 COMPRESSED AIR STARTING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Eric Georg Fridolf Breln, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Gotaverken, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,804 Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 8, 1965, 13,062/ 65 3 Claims. (Cl. 60-16) This invention relates to the art of operating internal combustion engines and is concerned with the provision of improved means for starting such engines.

When automatic distant control and manoeuvring of ships is resorted to instead of the manual manoeuvring in the engine room the operator loses the close contact with the engine and normally has no opportunity to decide if a desired operation has been brought about according to order or not. One delicate operation is the starting of the engine, where it often happens that the engine for one cause or the other will not start proper- 1y, notwithstanding repeatedintroduction of compressed air. Each starting operation by compressed air will, with a big ships engine, means such a load on the compressed air system, that only a limited number of starting operations may be tried in one sequence. Many units necessary for the function of the engine, for instance the distance manoeuvring apparatus, will also require considerable quantities of air.

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide means whereby an alarm is given if the engine has not started properly after a previously determined time and that possibly also after some further delay the starting air supply to the engine is cut off.

Further objects will appear in the following description, which with reference to the diagrammatic representation in the attached drawing describes an embodiment of the invention as utilized With a large reversible internal combustion engine.

From a compressed air reservoir 1 air is by way of conduit 2 led to the main starting air valve 3 as well as by way of a pipe 4 to a manoeuvring apparatus 5, by means of which the speed of the engine is determined and the desired starting and reversing operations are governed. From the manoeuvring apparatus a pipe 6 leads to a speed governor 7 and also by way' of pipe 8 to a 3-way valve 9. A branch pipe 10 supplies air to a blocking valve 11. This is governed by a rotation sensitive device 12, that is a member which will function only when the engine has begun to rotate in the desired direction and then will open valve 11. The 3-way valve 9 is arranged to be influenced from a governing shaft 13, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of the ordinary shaft operating the fuel pumps (not shown). The parts are arranged in such a manner that valve 9 is open for air passage only when the fuel to the engine is cut off. The speed governor 7 is by means of suitable links 7a arranged to actuate said shaft and when fuel is supplied valve 9 relieves the communication system of pressure. A pipe 14 leads from the 3-way valve 9 to a first closure member 16. A branch pipe 15 supplies air to the rotation sensitive device 12 and a further pipe 17 leads to a second closure member 18. The latter member is normally open for pressure impulses in such a manner that any impulse will pass directly to and open the main starting valve 3. A pipe 19 leads from the first closure member 16 to a first part 20 of a delay system, which includes a reduction valve 21, an air receptacle 22 preferably with variable volume and a blocking member 23, for instance a pressure operated switch. To this first part of the delay system a second part 24 V United States Patent O is connected, which may be identical with the first part, but which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a pneumatic relay 25. I

An acoustic alarm is indicated at 26. The second part 24 of the delay system is arranged to govern the second closure member 18 by way of a connection 27. A conduit 28 leads from the starting air valve 3 to the starting valve 29 mounted on the engine cylinder.

The arrangement works in the following manner:

When compressed air is admitted to the system it will immediately reach the closed main starting valve 3 and simultaneously the manoeuvring apparatus 5 of the engine will be supplied with air at reduced pressure. Members governing the reversing of the engine have been omitted for the sake of simplicity. As soon as a starting operation is initiated pipe 4 will be connected with pipe 8 and pressure air reaches the blocking valve 11, which however will remain closed as long as the engine remains at standstill. The 3-way valve 9 will also receive a compressed air impulse and this valve will be open as the fuel supply governing shaft 13 is brought to a zero-position during the starting period. The valve 9 will be closed as soon as the starting period is finished and will then relieve this part of the system of compressed air.

When the 3-way valve 9 is opened air can flow through pipes 14, 15 and 17, whereupon the first closure member 16 will be opened. Compressed air will also pass through the normally open second closure member 18, whereupon the main starting valve 3 will be opened and pressure air reaches the starting valve 29. The apparatus operating these valves is also omitted for the sake of simplicity, it being sufficient to understand that the engine may now be turned by means of the compressed air. As soon as this happens the rotation sensitive device 12 will open the blocking valve 11, which admits compressed air through the open first closure member to the first part of the delay system 20.

The reduction valve 21 in this first part is adjusted in such a manner that the air receptacle 22 will slowly be filled with air. The time necessary for filling this receptacle is so chosen that the engine will have sufficient time to start properly. When a proper start is obtained and fuel is admitted to the engine the 3-way valve 9 will be closed from shaft 13. The system will then be relieved of pressure and the first closure member 16 will be closed, which means that also the first part 20 including the air receptacle 22 will be emptied.

If the engine, however, from one cause or the other should not start properly to permit the introduction of fuel, the air receptacle 22 in due time will be filled with air and when the pre-determined pressure therein is reached the blocking member 23 will be opened and the alarm 26 actuated. At the same time an impulse to the second part of the delay system is given, which after a further lapse of time will actuate the second closure member 18, which cuts off the governing impulse to the main starting valve 3 so that this will be closed immediately. The volume of receptacle 22 as well as the adjustment of the reduction valve 21 are so chosen that the engine may be started a certain number of times before the blocking member 23 is actuated. The embodiment above shown and described must be regarded as an example only and the details thereof may be designed and arranged in many different ways within the scope of the claims. The second closure member 18 may for instance be arranged to be influenced immediately from the first delay system 20 in such a manner that an alarm and a closing of the main starting valve will occur simultaneously.

I claim:

1. Compressed air starting means for an internal combustion engine equipped with starting air valves at the engine cylinders, said starting means comprising in combination;

a source of supply for the compressed air and a main conduit from said source to said starting air valves;

a main starting air valve in said conduit;

an alarm device;

first connection line between the manoeuvring apparatus and the alarm device;

blocking valve and a first closure member in said first connection line;

rotation sensitive device governing said blocking valve and said first closure member;

communication line between the manoeuvring apparatus and the main starting air valve; second closure member in said second communicating line;

member determining the fuel supply to the engine; 3-way valve controlled by said member and operative to open a passage for a pressure medium impulse to said rotation sensitive device as well as to the main starting valve when the fuel is cut off and to close said passage when fuel is supplied and a de lay system connected to said first closure member and designed to actuate the alarm a certain period of time after an impulse has passed the blocking valve of the rotation sensitive member and to operate said second closure member to cut off the operating impulse to the main starting valve.

2. Starting means according to claim 1, in which the delay system comprises a first part which actuates the alarm a certain period of time after a start failure and a second part adapted after a further period of time to issue an impulse to the second closure member.

3. Starting means according to claim 2, in which said first part containing a reduction valve, a pressure medium receptacle connected thereto and a blocking member, which at a determined pressure opens the passage for a signal to the alarm and to a second part of the delay system adapted to actuate the second closure member.

No references cited.

EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. COMPRESSED AIR STARTING MEANS FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE EQUIPPED WITH STARTING AIR VALVES AT THE ENGINE CYLINDERS, SAID STARTING MEANS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A SOURCE OF SUPPLY FOR THE COMPRESSED AIR AND A MAIN CONDUIT FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID STARTING AIR VALVES; A MAIN STARTING AIR VALVE IN SAID CONDUIT; A MANOEUVRING APPARATUS HAVING MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS TO CONTROL PRESSURE MEDIUM IMPULSES TO VARIOUS OPERATING MEMBERS, INCLUDING SAID MAIN STARTING AIR VALVE, AT THE ENGINE; AN ALARM DEVICE; A FIRST CONNECTION LINE BETWEEN THE MANOEUVRING APPARATUS AND THE ALARM DEVICE; A BLOCKING VALVE AND A FIRST CLOSURE MEMBER IN SAID FIRST CONNECTION LINE; A ROTATION SENSITIVE DEVICE GOVERNING SAID BLOCKING VALVE AND SAID FIRST CLOSURE MEMBER; A COMMUNICATION LINE BETWEEN THE MANOEUVRING APPARATUS AND THE MAIN STARTING AIR VALVE; A SECOND CLOSURE MEMBER IN SAID SECOND COMMUNICATING LINE; A MEMBER DETERMINING THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE, A 3-WAY VALVE CONTROLLED BY SAID MEMBER AND OPERATIVE TO OPEN A PASSAGE FOR A PRESSURE MEDIUM IMPULSE TO SAID ROTATION SENSITIVE DEVICE AS WELL AS TO THE MAIN STARTING VALVE WHEN THE FUEL IS CUT OFF AND TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGE WHEN FUEL IS SUPPLIED AND A DELAY SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CLOSURE MEMBER AND DESIGNED TO ACTUATE THE ALARM A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AFTER AN IMPULSE HAS PASSED THE BLOCKING VALVE OF THE ROTATION SENSITIVE MEMBER AND TO OPERATE SAID SECOND CLOSURE MEMBER TO CUT OFF THE OPERATING IMPULSE TO THE MAIN STARTING VALVE. 